Kevin Rustagi

For the past semester, I've been working as Co-President a lot on helping to found the MIT Live Music Connection (LMC).  The MIT Live Music Connection is a new student organization that seeks to bring live music and those who enjoy it together on MIT's campus.

Genesis: As my band was advertising in an effort to find a new singer (still looking), we had many musicians come up to us - bassists, drummers, guitarists, all wondering where they could go on campus and how they could continue their passions.

We had the same questions when we came to MIT.

As my good friend and bassist, Tom Cervantes sat down to lunch just before the beginning of the semester at a local Indian restaurant in Harvard Square, we realized something powerful.

The only way we'd been able to form our band was primarily based on luck - Tom's dorm happens to have a great music practice room (most do not), and our guitarist happened to live at a dormitory that has a decent venue in the basement (none of the others possess this). We came to the conclusion that MIT was currently not conducive to live music in general, despite the fact that the talent pool was wide and the need dramatic.

Action: After drafting a plan for a group that could bring musicians together for 'jam sessions' in order to connect musicians on campus, we went to the administration. The Assistant Director of the Student Activities Office, Paul Spangle, who later became our advisor, suggested that we hold a concert series to better utilize space in the MIT Student Center while proving that there was legitimate interest in this sort of thing on the part of student musicians and fans alike.

Results of the Fall Concert Series: 5 shows, 7 bands, and over 250 MIT students and affiliates enjoying the music later, we've demonstrated that this works.

Currently focused on continuing and expanding our concert series into the Spring, we also plan to hold events that serve the musicians and those interested in music. Ideas that have come up include the aforementioned live jam sessions where musicians can sign up for slots to play with fellow students and affiliates of similar levels, a BYOG (bring your own guitar) evening where MIT artists help aspiring players learn new tunes, and even seminars by local Boston artists.

It has been amazing to find that my passion for live music can carry into something sustainable for campus. This has been a dynamic process where we've been able to find a sweet spot where everyone wins.

Benefits to those involved:  MIT bands get a free venue along with quality live recording (music and video) as well as free publicity on our website, http://theinfinitemusic.com

The club allows students to take on a very unique leadership role on campus. Also, tracks recorded at the shows contribute towards a CD that will be released to help raise funds for the club. (Besides that, musicians, of course, own the rights to all of their recordings and own free use of them.)

MIT students are able to support their friends and enjoy free live music. Music is a natural stress-reliever and provides a safe way to relax after a long week at MIT. Also, if students are interested in music, they can expand their talents by attending other events that the club holds.

And MIT is a better place for this. The club espouses MIT's core values such as free and open access to self-betterment. Also, it exhibits the talents of MIT's amazing student body, demonstrating that MIT students can do more than physics, differential calculus, and organic chemistry.

Plus, it's sexy.

Current Progress: We are currently in the process of applying for funding to cover capital equipment expenses. We are happy to have been recently recognized as an official MIT student group and also received top rank for space allocation.

Forward: It's already been a wild ride, full of excitement and promise. The people I've had the opportunity to encounter have been unbelievably helpful. Thank you to the bands, students, faculty, and of course my fellow team members that have supported this cause.

The future is promising for the MIT LMC as we move toward sustainability. We've got a lot in the works. I'll keep you posted as we move towards that bright horizon.